The numerical strength of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Nigerian Senate received a major boost on Wednesday following the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu, representing Enugu East Senatorial District, from the Labour Party(LP) to the APC.
With Chukwu’s defection, APC has now gained two –third majority in the chamber.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced Chukwu’s defection during Wednesday’s plenary session, bringing the APC’s tally in the upper chamber to 73 seats — a clear two-thirds majority.
Chukwu, who replaced his late brother, Oyibo Chukwu, after the 2023 general election, attributed his defection to the lingering crisis within the LP.
“The protracted crisis rocking the LP, which has led to its fractionalisation, is a development that is seriously affecting its members.”
Chukwu’s departure leaves the LP with just four senators in the 10th Senate, with Senator Okey Ezea (Enugu North) now the party’s only representative from Enugu State.
The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) currently holds 28 seats, while the Social Democratic Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party have one senator each. The All Progressives Grand Alliance retains two.
Chukwu’s defection on Wednesday adds to growing opposition lawmakers defecting to APC over to the ruling party.
Recall that in the last couple of months four PDP senators — Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), Oluwole Olubiyi (Osun Central), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), and Samson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South) — joined the APC over internal crises in their party.
